Duck Dive for Treasure
Swimmers learn a head-first surface dive to reach sinkers on the pool floor instead of just crouching down.
- Stages
- Stage 3, Stage 4
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Aquatic Breathing, Submersion, Coordination, Surface Dives
- Equipment
- Sinkers
- Age
- 6–99 years
- Group size
- 1–8 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Depth appropriate for the group and within your pool's procedures.
- Watch each swimmer surface before the next dives.
What it develops
- Submerge confidently and retrieve objects
- Submerge with controlled breathing out
How to run it
- Swimmers swim a few strokes on the front towards a sinker.
- Over the sinker, they tuck the chin, bend at the hips and push the arms down, lifting the legs up behind.
- Swim down, grab the sinker and push off the floor to surface.
- Try feet-first surface dives as an alternative.
Teaching cues
- Chin down, bottom up.
- Legs up to help you sink.
- Eyes open to find it.
Make it easier
- Sinker in shallower water.
- Start from standing with a small jump.
Make it harder
- Two sinkers on one dive.
- Swim along the floor a short way before collecting.
Common faults
- Legs stay flat so the swimmer can't get down.
- Eyes shut.
Corrections
- 'Kick your legs into the air like a duck.'
- Ask them to name the sinker's colour.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand near the sinker area and watch each swimmer surface, resetting sinkers between dives.